At least from a player development standpoint, the inescapable departure of free-agent closer Jose Valverde isn’t hurting the Astros so badly after all.

Because of Valverde’s status as a Type A free agent, when he signed with Detroit on Thursday, the Astros landed two draft picks to givethem three of the top 36 selections in June’s draft.

Valverde, who declined arbitration from the Astros last month, reportedly signed a two-year deal worth $14 million that also includes a $9 million club option for a third year.

If there is an upside for the Astros to losing one of the best closers in baseball to free agency, it is that the move comes with a chance to boost their minor league system.

“It helps expedite the restocking of our farm system, which is an ongoing business,” said Bobby Heck, the Astros’ director of amateur scouting. “We’re excited to have this type of opportunity.”

Valverde’s deal yields the Astros the Tigers’ first-round pick (No. 19 overall) as well as a supplemental pick (ranging between 34th and 36th) to go with their own first-round pick (No. 8 overall).

The last Type A free agent to sign this winter, Valverde, 31, had 25 saves with a 2.33 ERA last season despite missing time because of injuries. He had a National League-high 44 saves in 2008 in his first season with the Astros.

Once Valverde declined arbitration, the Astros knew they would lose him. So they bolstered their bullpen by signing righthander Brandon Lyon and trading for righthander Matt Lindstrom last month.

“We saw the Valverde situation as a win-win,” Astros GM Ed Wade said. “If Jose had accepted arbitration, we would have been very pleased.

“Once that possibility ran away from us, the next best thing would be to secure additional draft picks, and this worked out as well as we could possibly have anticipated.”